Excavating-machine.



No. 758,781. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904. W. J. ROELOFSON.

EXCAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1903. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1903.

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No. 758,781. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

W. J. ROELOPSON.

EXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD snm'. 24, 1903.

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Iatented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

W'ILLIAM J. ROELOFSON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO WILLIAM E. BELTER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

EXCAVATING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,781, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed September 24,1903. Serial No. 174,405. (No model.)

i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, -WILLIAM J. ROELOFSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating-h Ia use in placer-mining for digging and bringing to the surface the gold-carrying sandor gravel.

My invention may also be employed for digging wells, post-holes, and the like.

My invention provides a vertical spiral conveyer for cutting and elevating the excavated material, a tubular casing in which the conveyer is located, the lower end of the cas ing being provided with one or more cutting devices, a suitable framework upon which the conveyer and easing are vertically movable, and means by which the conveyer and easing are simultaneously rotated in opposite directions.

My invention provides, further, a casing and conveyor comprising a plurality of sections detachably connected, thus providing for the insertion of new sections as the hole excavated becomes deeper.

My invention provides, further, means by which the casing and conveyer are elevated and the lower sections sustained while the upper sections are inserted or removed.

My invention provides, still further, novel mechanism by which rotation is imparted to the conveyer and tubular casing.

Other novel features are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the machine. Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional view taken on the dotted line a 7) of Fig. 4, some of the parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the upper end of one and the lower end of another section of the tubular casing and similar parts of the conveyor, the upper sections being shown detached from the lower ones. Fig. 4 is a top view of the machine, a portion of the head of the casing broken away. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the dotted line 0 (Z of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal sectional view of the upper gears on the vertical driving-shaft, a portion of the said shaft being shown partly in elevation and partly in vertical section and a portion of the supporting-platform being shown in section.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts.

The framework on which a portion of the mechanism is vertically slidable comprises a horizontal base-plate 1, which rests upon the surface of the ground from which material is to be dug and elevated. A horizontal top plate 2 is secured to the upper ends of four vertical bars 3, the lower ends of which are rigidly-secured to the base-plate 1.. A horizontal platform 4: is slidably mounted lengthwise upon the bars 3. A vertical hole is provided through the platform I, in which is'disposed the upper end of the tubular casing, comprising a plurality of vertical tubular sections 5, 6, and 7, respectively. The upper section 5 is provided at its upper end above the platform 4 with a horizontal head 8; circular in form and having peripheral gearteeth 9. The head 8 projects laterally outside the section 5 and has in the under side of said projecting portion an annular groove in which are seated a series of balls 10, which are also seated in a corresponding annular groove provided in the upper side of the platform 4 and encircling the liole'tlierein, in

which is located the upper section of the tucasing are detachably secured together by the following mechanism: Upon the outer periplrcry of each section, excepting the lower oiie"; 7 near the lower end of each of said sections and extending below the same, are secured at their upper ends a series of vertical spring plates or catches 12, the outer side of the lower end of each of which has a projection 13. The lower ends of the plates 12 are inwardly depressible and are adapted to .enter each the vertical hole in a lug 14, of which there are as many provided on the upper end of the next lower section as there are plates 12 on the section next above. The lugs 14 are so located that the plates 12 immediately above will enter the holes in the lugs and the projections 13 on the plates 12 will engage the lower sides of the lugs 14. The lower end of the bottom section 7 is provided with one or more curved vertical blades or cutting devices which extend beyond the outer periphery of the said section and are indicated by 15. These cutting devices are formed, preferably, by cutting a distance vertically from thelower end of the section 7 and then transversely the distance required for the width of the cutter. The portion thus cut out is forced outwardly into the position shown in Fig. 1, thus leaving a' lateral opening inside each cutter in the wall of the section 7 for. the entrance therethrough of the material cut by the cutting devices 15.

Longitudinally disposed in the tubular casing is the spiral conveyer, comprising a number of sections corresponding in length to the sections of the tubular casing. The said conveyer has a central vertical shaft comprising a series of sections 16, 17 and 18, detachably connected end to end, the upper end of each section of the shaft being provided with a square recess 19, in which is inserted the squared portion 20 of the lower end of the section next above. A transverse pin 21 ex.- tends through the coupled ends of the shaftsections and prevents separation of said sections. Encircling each section of the shaft except the extreme upper one, 16, is a spiral flange 22,- which registers with the next adjacent flange at its end and which has its outer edge adjacent the inner wall of the casing. The section 16 of the shaft extends through a vertical central opening provided in the head 8 and has secured to it above the head a bevel gear-wheel 23, which meshes with a bevel gear-Wheel 24, mounted on and rotatable with a horizontal shaft 25, the ends of which are rotatively mounted in horizontal openings provided in the vertical sides of a bearingframe 26, mounted upon the platform 4. One end of the shaft 25 has secured upon and rotatable with it a bevel gear-wheel 27, which meshes with a bevel gear-wheel 28, slidably mounted on and rotatable with a vertical driving-shaft 29, the upper end of which is rotatively mounted in the top plate 2, and the lower end of which is rotatively mounted in abearing 30, mounted upon the upper side of the base plate 1. The shaft 29 extends through a vertical hole provided in the plat-' form 4 and has mounted slidably upon it above the said platform and under the gear 28 a horizontally-disposed spur gear-wheel 31, which meshes with the toothed periphery of the head 8. The gear-wheels 28 and 31 are provided with vertical grooves in their hub-holes, in which is mounted a key 32, slidably mounted in a longitudinal groove 33, provided in the shaft 29. Upon the lower end of the shaft 29, above the bearing 30, is mounted and rotata ble with the shaft abevel gear-wheel 34, which meshes with a bevel gear-wheel 35, mounted on a horizontal shaft 36, rotatively mounted in a bearing 37, mounted on the base-plate l.

Rotation is imparted to the shaft 36 by means of a pulley 38, mounted on and rotatable withthe shaft. Any suitable driving power may be employed to rotate the pulley 38.

For elevating the platform 4 and the con veyer and tubular casing carried thereby one end of a rope 39 is secured to the horizontal portion of the bearing-frame 26, the rope passing from thence'over a pulley-wheel 40, mounted rotatively in a pulley-block 41, secured to the under side of the top plate 2. Any suitable means may be employed for drawing the rope over the pulley-wheel 40 in a direction such that the platform will be elevated.. I

Upon the outer periphery of the upper ends of the sections 6 and 7 of the casing and below the projections or lugs 14 are provided a series of horizontal projections 42, adapted to rest when adjacent thereto upon the upper sides of two horizontal levers 43, pivoted each at one end to the upper side of the base-plate 1. The said levers 43 are concave on their inner sides, so as to embrace the adjacent casing-section below the projections 42 thereon. The plate 1 is provided with a vertical hole 44 therethrough large enough to admit therethrough the casing-sections. By swinging the levers 43 against the casing and under the lugs or'projections 42 next above the lower sections of the casing may be supported while others are inserted or withdrawn above the plate 1.

In operating my invention the parts are assembled as hereinbefore described, the plate 1 being placed upon the surface of the ground. Rotation is then imparted to the vertical shaft 29 by means of the gears 34 and 35, shaft 36, and pulley 38. Rotation will then be imparted to the conveyer by means of gears 23 24,

shaft 25, and gears 27 and 28. Rotation in the contrary direction will be imparted to the casing by means of the spur-gear 31 and head 8. The weight of the platform and the conveyer and easing will cause the conveyer and casing to descend with the platform 4 as the cutting devices 15 cut the earth or sand and cause it to enter the tubular casing, from which it is withdrawn upwardly by the rotating conveyer and discharged at the openings 11 in the upper section of the casing. When the IIO platform 4 has descended as far as it can on the vertical bars 3, the levers 43 are swung against the casing and under the lugs 42 of the adjacent section. The plates 12 immediately above the base-plate 1 may then be depressed, and thus released from the lugs M, with which they engage. By then drawing the rope 39 the platform L, together with the sections of the casing above the base-plate 1, may be raised, thus providing a space between the sections, through which access may be had to remove the pin 21, connecting sections of the conveyer which it is designed to separate. The section 6 may then be removed in a like manner from the section 5, after which the upper pin 21 is removed and the two upper sections of the conveyer-shaft detached from one another. The section 6 and the conveyer-section therein may be wholly removed from the machine, after which the platform may again be lowered and the section 5 connected with the section 7, the upper section of the conveyer-shaft being also connected with that portion disposed in the section '7 of the casing. The rope 39 may then again be operated and the platform and casing and conveyer-sections raised, the casing and conveyer-sections being detached, as just described. By reversing the operation just described the sections may be replaced.

It will be obvious that as many sections corresponding to the intermediate sections of the casings 6 and the section 17 of the conveyer may be employed as are necessary to increz se the length or depth of the hole dug by the cutting devices 15. The height of the guiding-bars 3 must be sufficient for the elevation of the platform t and sections 5 and 16 the distance required for inserting intermediate sections corresponding to the sections 6 and 17.

By having the gears 28 and 31 slidable lengthwise of the shaft 29, at the same time rotating therewith, the shaft 25, the shaft of the conveyer, and the tubular casing may be continuously rotated, while the platform, casing, and spiral conveyer are being moved downwardly on the framework. By locating the gear 31 upon the platform 4: and under the gear 28 and the gear 28 under the gear 27 the gears 28 and 27 and the gear 31 and toothed head 8 will be retained always in mesh. If at any time it should be desired to rotate the conveyer without rotating the casing, the key 32 may be forced upwardly out of the key-seat in the gear 31, but still retained in the key-seat in the gear 28. The gear 31 would then not rotate with the shaft 29 and rotation to the casing-head 8 would cease. In a like manner the key 32 may be forced downwardly out of the gear 28 when it is desired to rotate only the casing and not the conveyer. Any desired means may be employed to draw the rope 39 and to impart rotation to the pulley 38.

My invention may be modified in different ways without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a suitable framework, of a support vertically movable thereon, a vertical tubular casing vertically movable with said support and rotatively mounted thereon and provided at its lower end with cutting devices, a spiral conveyer disposed lengthwise in said casing, movable vertically therewith and rotatively mounted therein, and means for simultaneously rotating the said casing and the said conveyer in opposite directions.

2. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a suitable framework, of a platform vertically slidable thereon, a tubular casing having its upper end rotatively mounted in said platform and provided at its lower end with suitable cutting devices and vertically movable with said platform, a spiral conveyer rotatively mounted in said tubular casing and vertically movable therewith, a vertical shaft rotatively mounted in said framework, means for imparting rotation to said shaft, and means for imparting rotation in opposite directions from said shaft to said tubular casing and said conveyer.

3. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a suitable framework, of a support vertically slidable upon said framework and movable downward thereon by gravity, means for raising said support on said framework, a tubular casing provided at its upper end with a head having peripheral teeth and rotatively mounted upon said support, the lower end of said casing having a cutting device, a spiral conveyer rotatively mounted in said casing, a vertical shaft rotatively mounted in said framework, means for rotating said shaft, a gear-wheel rotative with said shaft and slidable lengthwise thereon and meshing with the teeth on the casing-head, and means for imparting rotation to said conveyer from said shaft in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said tubular casin 4. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a suitable framework, of a horizontal platform vertically movable thereon and provided with a vertical hole therethrough, a tubular casing rotatively mounted in said platform in said vertical hole and provided with a head in its upper end disposed above said platform and provided with peripheral teeth, a series of balls disposed between said head and said platform, a plurality of cutting devices on the lower end of said casing, a spiral conveyer rotatively mounted in said casing, a vertical shaft rotatively mounted in said framework, a gear-wheel slidable on said shaft and rotatable therewith and meshing with the teeth on said head, means for rotating said shaft, and means for imparting rotation in opposite directions from said shaft to said casing and said conveyer.

5. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a suitable framework, of a vertical tubular easingcomprising a plurality of sections connected detachably end to end, the lower end of the bottom section being provided witha cutting device, means for guiding said casing upward and downward on said framework, a spiral conveyer mounted in said casing and comprising a plurality of sections connected detachably end to end, and means for imparting rotation in opposite directions simultaneously to said casing and said conveyer.

6. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a suitable framework, a support vertically movable thereon, the said support movable downward by gravity, means forelevating the support upon the framework, a vertical tubular casing comprising a plurality of sections disposed end to end and adjacent sec tions detachably connected to each other, the upper section being supported by and rotatable in the said support, and the lower end of the lower section being provided with one or more devices for cutting and forcing to the interior thereof, the material-tobe excavated, a spiral conveyer disposed lengthwise within the said tubular casing and comprising aseries of sections disposed end to end and detachably connected together, and means for imparting rotation in opposite directions respectively,to the tubular casing and the spiral conveyer.

7. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a suitable framework, of a vertical tubular casing comprising a plurality of sections detachably connected together, a support slidable upon the said framework in which the said casing is rotatively mounted, means for rotating the said casing cutting devices provided in the lower section of said casing, means for elevating the material cut therewith and discharged into the said casing, releasable means for engaging and supporting certain sections of the tubular casing when the sections of the casing above the said certain sections are detached therefrom, and means for imparting rotation to the sections comprising the said casing when the same are connected respectively together.

8. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a framework comprising a baseplate and vertical guide-bars connecting the said plates, a support vertically reciprocable upon the guide-bars, a tubular casing rotatively mounted in said support and provided with one or more cutting devices at its lower end, a rotatable spiral conveyer mounted in the casing, means for elevating the said support and with it the said conveyer and tubular casing, and means for imparting rotation in opposite directions to the casing and conveyer repectively.

9. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a framework, of a supportivertically reciprocable thereon, a vertical shaft, means for rotating the said shaft, a tubularvertical casing carried by the said support, rotatively mounted therein and provided at its lower end with one or more devices for cutting the material to be excavated, a spiral conveyer rotatively mounted in the said casing, and means operated by the rotation of the said vertical shaft for imparting rotation in opposite directions'to the said casing and the said conveyer.

10. In an excavating-machine, the combina tion with a framework, of a support vertically reciprocable upon the said framework, a bearing-frame carried by said support, a shaft rotatively mounted on said bearing-frame, a vertical shaft rotatively mounted in the framework, means for rotating said vertical shaft, a bevel-gear slidable lengthwise upon the said vertical shaft and rotatable therewith, a bevelgear on the other shaft, rotatable therewith and meshing with the bevel-gear on the vertical shaft, a vertical rotatable spiral conveyer, a vertical tubular casing inclosing the same, carried by the said support and provided with a head having a toothed periphery, a gearwheel meshing with said toothed periphery, rotatable with and slidablelengthwise upon the said vertical shaft, and means for imparting rotation from the shaft carried by the bearing-frame to the spiral conveyer.

11. In an excavating-machine the combination with a framework, of a platform vertically reciprocable thereon and provided with a vertical hole, of a tubular casing rotatively mounted in said hole and provided above said platform with a head having a toothed periphery the lower end of said tubular casing being provided with one or more cutting devices, a series of balls disposed between the said casing-head and the upper side of said platform and encircling the vertical hole therethrough, a vertical shaft rotatively mounted in the said framework, means for rotating the said shaft, a gear-wheel mounted upon said vertical shaft, slidable lengthwise thereon, rotatable therewith and meshing with the toothed periphery of the casing-head, a vertical spiral conveyer mounted in said casing and comprising a central vertical shaft extending through the casing-head, rotatively mounted therein and provided with a spiral flange encirclingsaid shaft below the casing-head and extending opposite the cuttingdevices on the casing, a transverse shaft rotatively mounted upon the said support above the casing, gearing for imparting rotation from said transverse shaft to the central shaft of the spiral conveyer, a bevel gear-wheel rotatable with said transverse tion with a framework comprising a top plate, a base-plate provided with a vertical hole therethrough, and a plurality of vertical bars connecting the said top and base plates, a support vertically reciprocable upon the guidingbars of the framework, a vertical tubular casing supported by and rotatable upon the said support, extending through the hole in the base-plate and provided at its lower end with one or more devices for cutting the material to be excavated, a spiral conveyer rotatively mounted in said casing, means for imparting rotation in opposite directions to the said spiral conveyer and the said casing, means for elevating the said support together with the casing and conveyer, and releasable means supported by said base-plate for engaging and supporting the said tubular casing.

13. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a framework comprising a top and a base plate, vertical guiding-bars connecting the same, the base-plate being provided with a vertical hole therethrough, a support verticall y reciprocable upon the said guiding-bars, a tubular casing rotatively mounted upon said support, and adapted to enter the vertical hole in the baseplate, the said tubular casing comprising a series of tubular sections, the upper one being provided with an opening for the discharge of excavated material and the lower end of the lower section being provided with one or more cutting devices, and releasable means for locking the ends of adjacent sections together, means for rotating the said tubular casing, means for elevating the said support and the said casing. and means for conveying the excavated material from said cutting devices upwardly through said casing to said discharge-opening.

14. In an excavating-machine, the combination with a framework comprising a top plate, a base-plate provided with a vertical hole therethrough, guiding-bars connecting the said plates, a vertical tubular casing adapted to enter the hole in the base-plate and provided with peripheral lugs, a lever pivoted upon the said base-plate and adapted to be swung against the casing and engage the adjacent lugs thereon for supporting the said casing, a support vertically reciprocable upon the said guiding-bars and upon which the tubular casing is rotatively mounted cutting devices provided on the lower end of the tubular casing, means for conveying the excavated material from said cutting devices upwardly through said casing, and means for rotating the tubular casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM J. ROELOFSON.

\Vitnesses:

WARREN D. HOUSE, HENRY F. Ross. 

